The origins of adidas were laid in 1924 by German brothers Adolf and Rudolph Dassler under the name of Dassler Shoes. By equipping Olympic athletes with their shoes, Dassler became a popular choice of footwear amongst athletes.

In 1948 Rudolph left the partnership and Adolf renamed the company adidas and invented the three stripes. Originally designed for support, these stripes soon became an undeniable part of the Adidas identity.